Sir Salman - does he deserve it?

Question

So Salman Rushdie is to become Sir Salman

I say great; the man is a genius; that's what arts honours are for. His peers say he's a bit of a princess. Probably true. But, in this context, so what?

Answer 1

Yes, he does deserve it.
He wrote SEVERAL good books - The Satanic Verses is the most famous one, but also check out Midnight's Children and Haroun and the Sea of Stories.
He's an intellectual who crafts beautiful stories by combining elements of mythology and folklore from all over the world with his own unique imagination.
Much of the controversy around The Satanic Verses was stirred up by people who hadn't even read the book, and took offense at its title and the fact that it included elements of stories from many religions.
Good on him, he's one of the most influential writers of our time. He's also a brave man for upholding the principles of free speech, even in the face of ignorant death threats.

Answer 2

No, I dont think he deserves it. He just doesnt. For what? iIs British Knighhood that cheap. There are far better authors out there. JK Rowling perhaps desrves it more than he does. She got a wqhole new geneartion of kids onto reading books. She encouraged so many book writers.

What has Salman Rushdie done? Created controversy. His name is synonymous with fatwa controversy. He hardly has an identity of his own. Satanic Verses or any other of his books couldnt have done that for him, had it not been blasphemous in nature.
British government neednt go mad like America to award him a Knighthood.


TW K

Answer 3

Honours originally went to courageous knights, then to famous warriors and leaders... now it seems anyone can get one. The book The Satanic Verses was tedious to plod through and I saw nothing deserving of either an award or an Imam's death sentence. It's satire, parody, has moments of humour and, most importantly, not real... so why the big fuss? The question everyone should ask is who would want to attend the ceremony knowing you might have to sit next to a man on his fourth wife, with a security detail rivalling the PM's, never sleeping in the same house twice like Saddam Hussein, obviously with some crazy death wish and plenty of nuts willing to oblige? What on earth were Her Majesty's aides thinking in recommending him?

Answer 4

I think the honours system stinks ( don't forget jeffrey Archer was made a lord) but Rushdie deserves something for having the courage to face up to the primitive, repressive, hysterical mob that believe in the Islamic sky-god

Answer 5

Yes, he deserves to be a knight. He is a courageous fighter against religious intolerance. No wonder right-wing people dislike him, even though he wrote only about Islam, not about Christianity.

Answer 6

ya thats right